From Emma Swinney Walker, Swinney Family (Blakesburg, IA: by the author, 1928-29), courtesy of Jeanne Fowler:
Minerva Swinney, the youngest child of James and Jane Gartin Swinney, was born May 30, 1844 in Decatur County, Indiana. She was twenty-five years younger than Elijah, the oldest child. When a mere babe her father died and at four years of age made the trip with her mother and brothers and sisters to Davis County, Iowa, where she grew to womanhood. She attended the common schools available in her time.
When her brother Harvey entered the Army she and her mother were left alone and endured the hardships known only to a widowed mother and young daughter under such conditions [as] existed then. When the war was over, the brother being unable to do hard manual labor, and the mother broken in health, the home was broken up and Minerva lived mostly with Isaac and family until Harvey was married, when she made her home with them, until Dec. 18, 1870, [when] she was married to Glocester Vorhis in the home of her brother Harvey.
They went to housekeeping on the old Turpin farm - the house standing back in the field south of the Petefish house. Here their first child, Minnie, was born.
They next lived on the farm known as the Andrew Dunn farm west of the Bloomfield-Ottumwa road. Again they moved to the farm now owned by Aaron Emanuel, finally purchasing a home of their own four miles west of Bloomfield-Ottumwa road, where they reared their six children, Minnie, Vona, Effie, Clarence, Lola and Mattie, all of whom are living.
When advanced in years they retired to Bloomfield. Both were members of the Chequest Union Baptist Church, later transferring their membership to the Bloomfield Baptist Church. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1921.
Minerva passed away at her home Nov. 18, 1926, at the age of 83 years and is buried in the Bloomfield cemetery. Her companion still resides in Bloomfield, where his daughter, Effie, cares for him. He is the only survivor in the family of his generation.
